blog tour

Review: Sweet On You by Kate Perry Blog Tour

February 9, 2013 by Sana

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Title: Sweet On You (Laurel Heights, #6)
Author: Kate Perry
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Phoenix Rising Enterprises, Inc
Release Date: 20 December 2012
Pages: 122 (eBook)

Synopsis

Sugar and spice and everything…naughty?

Pastry-chef-to-the-stars Daniela Rossi wants one thing: the abandoned building South of Market. Turning it into a soup kitchen for the homeless is the only thing that’s excited her in months. And Daniella needs to feel again. Until she finds herself feeling too much – for the man who’s competition for the property.

Ruthless entrepreneur Nico Cruz wants one thing: the abandoned SOMA building he grew up in, where his brother was killed. Destroying it is the only thing that will set his brother’s soul at peace. And Nico always gets what he wants. But Daniela’s sweet temptation makes him question what it will take to soothe his own soul.

Fortunately, in this bidding war, all’s fair…

My Rating

* * *

The Review

It’s been a long time since I last picked up an adult contemporary romance so when I came across Sweet On You, it sounded just what I needed to get back into the genre. And it was. Sweet On You begins with Danielle who is all but had it with her choice of career. She might have been the best at being a pastry chef but lately, it’s been all work. She’s had enough of people treating her more like a pastry chef and less like a person.

Call it a pre-midlife crisis or call it a change of heart, Danielle knows she won’t be ever going back to her former glamorous life once she spots a kid giving her sister a teddy bear from the trash bin. She’s never known life on the other side of the tracks but she does know she needs to feed the homeless kids. And maybe buy the building they’re living in so that she could turn it in a soup kitchen. It sounds perfect. However, that’s where Nico comes in, he’s had his sights set on the building just so he could buy and have it demolished in order to fulfill the promise he made to his brother. Thus, starts a battle between Danielle and Nico.

Despite what started as a surprising first chance meeting, the instant attraction and the heavy flirtation kind of felt off. Still, it was easier to see how Danielle and Nico fit together and hot to read about. I could see where both of them were coming from and it was easy to predict how it would all end, but it was fun reading about it. Sweet On You is definitely all it promised to be, sugary, spicy and naughty.

Even though I wasn’t expecting Danielle’s assistant Marley to have a story of her own, it was nice reading it. It definitely gave a much clearer insight inside the world of Danielle. What I really liked about Sweet On You is how much Danielle and Marley grow in just over a hundred pages. The pace is fast and the chapters are arranged in multiple perspectives of Nico, Danielle and Marley. It’s refreshing to read them because you get the know-how of what’s everyone thinking and doing but it also leaves space for the reader to be left guessing a little.

Sweet On You is the sixth book in the Laurel Heights series but it can be read as a stand alone. I would totally recommend it as a light read which can be finished in a single sitting. A guilty pleasure read, if you must. I would definitely be reading more from Kate Perry. Also I think I can guess who the next book in the series will be about!

Best Quotes:

“Love doesn’t cause catastrophes and death.“

“No, those are just parts of living.” She cupped his face. “Love dictates how we react to them though.”

About the Author

As a little girl, Kate dreamt of many things. Like becoming a ninja. Dressing up in black and carrying a big sword? Seemed like a no brainer.

However, Fate had other plans for her, and she studied Kung Fu San Soo instead. A Kung Fu Master, Kate now has more weapons than she ever imagined—including several swords.

She lives in San Francisco. Voted by her friends as the woman they’d most want to stroll with down a dark alley, Kate’s as likely to be spotted at the opera as she is doing tai chi in Golden Gate Park. The rest of the time, she’s in her favorite cafe, working on her next novel.

Kate Perry can be found at

Buy Sweet On You (Laurel Heights, #6)

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Thanks to Kate Perry and ATOMR for providing me a copy of Sweet On You for review.

Review: Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway

January 31, 2013 by Sana

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Title: Fractured Soul (Fractured Light, #2)
Author: Rachel McClellan
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Cedar Fort
Release Date: 12 February 2013
Pages: 336 (eARC)

Synopsis

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

My Rating

* * * *

The Review

Fractures Soul begins with Llona’s first day at Lucent Academy and even though there’s only a slight chance of things getting back to normal, Llona knows her life wouldn’t ever be the same. Her plan is simple: to learn more about the nature and history of Aura, hone her abilities and get out of world the Auras has chosen to live in. However, she is yet unknown to the danger that threatens to wipe out Auras and it seems that trouble has followed Llona inside the protected walls of The Lucent Academy.

The stakes are higher especially when the ones responsible for the safety of Auras are willing to sacrifice it for personal gains. Llona has her own demons to deal with as darkness calls to her, a hunger lodged deep inside her and the smell of blood everywhere. It is no surprise when Llona plans to sneak out at night unable to get rid of her nightmares.

Llona craves destruction and her need to get rid of the energy buzzing inside of her leads her to Vykens present close to Lucent. Llona fights the blood battles despite warnings from Jackson, a Guardian. Christian also arrives but Sophia is against their relationship and makes it clear so. Despite the dangerous ground she is treading upon with him, Llona knows he means too much to her to lose him. Thus, she eventually takes Liam’s offer to help the light within her come to life again.

Rebellious as ever, Llona has to overcome the difficulties she is faced with. Fractured Soul fits perfectly to Llona’s state in this book as she tethers on the edge of darkness. Threats are given, secrets revealed and hearts are broken as it becomes clear that something big is going on. With the help of Christian, Liam, Tessa and May, Llona sets out to fight the danger, loving the thrill it offers to a showdown and another life-changing moment in Llona’s life.

Will she ever find salvation and come to peace with herself? Fractured Soul shows a new side of Llona, but she is consistent with her rebellious streak which is what I love about her. This is one tough nut to break. Fractured Soul is a very satisfying continuation of the series and I’m more than looking forward to how it will end. Three cheers to Rachel McClellan for crafting a yet another brilliant story.

Best Quotes:

“I imagined my skin shimmering, transforming into actual Light, My nails dug into my palms. Change! My body began to vibrate, ratting my insides until I thought I’d break into two.“

“If I could just find him, give him all of my Light to save him.“

About the Author

Rachel was born and raised in Idaho, a place secretly known for its supernatural creatures. When she’s not in her writing lair, she’s partying with her husband and four children. Her love for storytelling began as a child when the moon first possessed the night. For when the lights went out, her imagination painted a whole new world. And what a scary world it was…

Rachel McClellan can be found at

Buy Fractured Light (Fractured Light, #1)

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Starting 4 February, buy the eBook of Fractured Light for only $2.99 for two weeks only!

Pre-order Fractured Soul (Fractured Light, #2)

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The Interview

What is the one thing writing Fractured Light series has taught you about yourself?

Honestly it taught me to be stronger and to face my problems head on. It was amazing how simply writing about a tough girl made me want to be one. No shrinks for me. I write. 🙂

What five words would you use to define Fractured Soul?

Enduring, power, loyalty, strength, and heart-breaking.

Despite being cautious about her survival it’s clear that Llona’s looking for more than just to survive. How does that shape up in Fractured Soul?

It’s one thing to survive outside forces, but I think it’s a whole other beast to survive inner torment. In Fractured Soul Llona has to do just this. In addition she wants desperately to fit in, but not at the cost of giving up what she believes in. That’s why the title of this book is so perfect for Llona.

Manipulation of light. How did you come up with the idea?

I’ve always been fascinated by light. It contains so much power and always chases away the darkness. This is an eternal truth that can never be changed. Because it is so strong, I wanted to give it to a teenage girl to see what she could do with it. I was pleased with the results.

Did you think making Llona’s hair to be so whitish blonde made her stand out more? Or is it only about being different?

I wanted there to be something in Llona’s life that not only made her stand out, but also was something she couldn’t control. Sometimes that’s how how life is–we are different and there’s nothing we can do about it.

Everyone should know that you are – ?

Really into my TV shows, but I don’t just watch them for enjoyment. I study how they are done: when the main conflict is introduced, how the characters develop, how they keep the dialogue focused on the current problem, etc. I love the shows The Walking Dead, Being Human, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, The Following, and Downton Abbey.

Lastly, what question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you answer that question

Does writing run in your family?

My mother is an excellent poet and has written some short stories. And although she’s the only writer, everyone else in my family is extremely artistic. I, however, can not draw or paint to save my life. Only create stories.

Thank you so much!

The Giveaway

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Thanks to Rachel McClellan and Cedar Fort for providing me a copy of Fractured Soul for review.

Review: Owlet by Emma Michaels Blog Tour + Excerpt + Giveaway

December 27, 2012 by Sana

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Title: Owlet (Society of Feathers, #1)

Author: Emma Michaels

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Tribute Books

Release Date: 13 October 2012

Pages: 178 (eARC)

Synopsis
Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.

Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

My Rating

* * * *

The Review

Owlet begins and ends with a dream and in between, the words have a singsong and dreamlike quality to them as if they are floating inside the mind of the reader.

I didn’t know what to expect from Iris and her story. It is so unique to read a fantasy book where the main character is asthmatic, dreams of flying and has more than a subtle conscience speaking to her about the life she no longer remembers.

While the reason behind Iris’s memory loss is not made clear, it is clear that Iris is being protected from humans that want her dead. Humans that are have birds as half-souls just like her. Iris was supposed to have dies as a baby because of what she was thought to be. But unconditional love made her parents want to protect her at any cost and that cost was not telling Iris who she really is.

Yet she dreams of an island she calls her Never-Never and flies to that island in her dreams and knows it like the back of her hand. When she finally gathers the courage to tell her father about the strange dreams, he is overjoyed and relieved. He decides to send her to the island with Diana, her caretaker telling her he’d join her soon and finally tell her the truth.

On the island, which is exactly like the her Never-Never, her mind tells her that she will also find him. He who has been waiting for her to find him and in her core she really knows him. Falcon was sent to harm her but he couldn’t do it and instead they fell in love as children. But then the dangerous circumstances and her memory loss made her forget him. Now he is adamant to never go through the pain of her not recognizing him.

Owlet is a very refreshing book in the fantasy genre. It isn’t long and when it ended I wanted to go on reading about the true self of Iris and what it means for Falcon. Though we only get to read about the secondary characters for a short amount of time, they really stick with you especially Diana and Nathanial. Emma Michaels is a talented author for having written Owlet with such an open mind and embracing the concept of the Stryx. I am looking forward to read more of her work.

Best Quotes:

“Chocolate chip pancakes are more important than grudges.”

“Closing her eyes for a moment, just wanting to clear away the tears from her lashes so that she could see Falcon clearly, Iris suddenly felt as though she was being pulled away from sweet oblivion as her moment of dreamless sleep slipped away from her and she felt snow against her skin.”

The Excerpt for the read along
The song is part of the legend. There is the original legend on the Vermilion but then there is also the Stryx legend of Tessa and Orinthian. Tessa was a Vermilion who fell in love with Orinthian. When word of their sad story spread songs were written about it, and this was one of them, a more recent version, in fact. My favorite…

Even as the stars shine, I only see the night.
Until I found a way to illuminate my sky;
A simple touch palm to palm with the man I came to love;
Sent the vivid colors of the world pouring into my gaze.
A simple touch that changed my life, as;
My heart started to dream in color.
I may be blind but he showed me the beauty the world had to offer;
By giving me one breath of his life at a time.
Slowly as he showed me sights I watched his face wither;
As my seeing the world’s beauty slowly stole him away from me.
I ran from him on swift wings to a place of safety;
And asked the Eyrie to lay me to rest.
I would not risk one of their own for my greed;
But as I asked them to let me pass,
I remembered that I had never seen the sun rise through the sky.
I asked them for only one favor,
I wanted to die flying;
On the Isle of White, from the highest cliff at sunrise;
I stood on the edge of death and felt the warmth on my face.
But before I could fall forward I felt gentle palms against my own,
And saw the sky was more than I ever imagined.
The colors set my heart afire.
As it did I watched my Orinthian’s sacrifice;
I faced a choice worse than the only one I had graced myself;
And learned to fly;
Flying to his side again;
Somewhere we would always see the world’s most exquisite beauty…
Together.

About the Author

Emma Michaels is the author of the ‘A Sense of Truth’ and ‘Society of Feathers’ series. Her goal with her latest YA novel ‘Owlet’ is to give others what she did not have growing up; a strong female protagonist with asthma. While her previous aspiration was to be a lady knight she realized that not being able to run more than a few feet might become a hindrance so turned to writing instead. Her day jobs include being a cover artist, marketing consultant and silk screen designer.

As the founder of The Writers Voice blog she loves to connect authors and readers. As a book blogger turned author, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them. With the support of her fiancé, Chihuahua, and her amazing blog followers and fellow bloggers, she wants to prove to the world that anything is possible and help inspire fellow literary lovers to reach for their dreams.

Emma Michaels can be found at

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The Giveaway

The giveaway is open internationally and there are lots of prizes up for grabs! Enter away.
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Thanks to Tribute Books for providing me a copy of Owlet for review.

Review: Betwixt by Melissa Pearl Blog Tour + Giveaway

December 7, 2012 by Sana

ABOUT THE BOOK

Betwixt by Melissa Pearl

young adult paranormal self-published on 5 November 2012
first book in Betwixt series

Beautiful, wild-child Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well.

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it’s too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

Even though Betwixt is little over 200 pages long, it managed to stir up a range of emotions inside me. The story begins when Nicole was out partying as usual but then things turned from bad to worse when her boyfriend Trent leaves her stranded in the middle of nowhere. More annoyed than frightened, she starts walking down the road cursing, gets hit by a car and wakes up invisible to everyone but Dale Finnegan. With no memory of what happened last night, Nicole really thinks she is doomed.

On the surface, Nicole seems like the run of the mill popular, mean girl in high school who spend her days partying and staying out late at nights. She has almost convinced herself of the persona she adopted ever since Jody. The tree that Nicole tried to avoid looking at in order to forget the pain of what happened. To be mean and rude so people end up hating her which is so much easier than letting them see the damage in her.

There are little revelations along the way, as the discovery for Nicole’s body continues with Dale’s help. Being invisible to everyone except Dale, Nicole gets to see the true face of all the people in her life. When the initial shock wears off and search efforts go futile, Nicole gets the overwhelming feeling of deserving to die. To never be found. But it’s more about the journey of getting to her body than the destination. Especially when she drifts inside her body from time to time and the unbearable pain makes her realize the grave situation she is. She might just die if no one finds her in time.

Dale is a unique character in the book, he has an easygoing aura around him and the fact that it’s difficult for something to get to him. He might just have a scar running down one side of his face but he feels more proud of it than ashamed. No one know how he got it. He attempted to talk to Nicole before but she more than harsh with her and he finally had to let go. So when he comes across Nicole’s voice in school, despite being wary of her he decides to help her.

For all the time Nicole spends with Dale, she actually likes it but is afraid to admit so. Saddened by her parents initial reaction of her running away, Nicole goes through strong emotions when her parents consider the graveness of the situation as days pass. Dale and Nicole try to locate her body and find themselves more times at a standstill than they’d have preferred. However, when Nicole catches two people trying to find her body to bury her, things starts looking up.

The time Nicole and Dale spend together, confiding in each other and just being together is stirring. When Nicole gets to look at her life from the outside, she realizes how empty it really has been. And she knows why. It’s heartbreaking and gut-wrenching when her parents finally realizes that Nicole is worse off then they’d believe. What pulled them apart is part of the mystery and same goes for Dale and his headfirst approach towards life.

Betwixt is an engaging story of the time Nicole spends in between the state of living and dead. Will she survive and whether she would amend her falling out with her parents is an engrossing discovery. Betwixt is a thought-provoking book which jolts the reader’s mind to question the existence and why do we choose what we choose. Melissa Pearl has written a beautiful story of not just surviving life but living it. Yet for all that Betwixt offers, it’s a forgettable story because of its genericity.

THE QUOTES

‘I can feel the clock ticking with excruciating slowness as we wait for a resolution. It’s almost more painful than my wounds.’

‘And I want to kiss you every day, but not just because I’m saying goodbye.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Pearl was born in Auckland, New Zealand, but has spent much of her life abroad, living in countries such as Jordan, Cyprus and Pakistan… not to mention a nine month road trip around North America with her husband. “Best. Year. Ever!!” She now lives in China with her husband and two sons. She is a trained elementary teacher, but writing is her passion. Since becoming a full time mother she has had the opportunity to pursue this dream and her debut novel hit the internet in November, 2011. Since then she has produced three more books with her fifth novel, Betwixt, out in November 2012.

Melissa Pearl can be found at

Buy Betwixt

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Click the banner for the tour schedule.

THE GIVEAWAY

The giveaway is open internationally and there are lots of prizes up for grabs!

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Thanks to Melissa Pearl and ATOMR for providing me a copy of Betwixt for review.

Review: Derailed by Alyssa Rose Ivy Blog Tour + Giveaway

December 4, 2012 by Sana

ABOUT THE BOOK

When you’re lost, sometimes the only place you can go is home.

Broken over the death of her fiancé, Molly leaves law school to return to her childhood home in North Carolina. Expecting to lay low until she can figure out what else to do with her life, she finds herself in the arms of her high school sweetheart, the boy who represents everything from the past she tried to leave behind.

Looking for an escape, she instead finds a way back to the girl she almost forgot existed and a future she never dreamed possible.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

The combination of the eye-catching cover and the intriguing synopsis of Derailed pulled me in and I knew I had to read it. What I loved about Derailed is the setting; Clayton Falls sounds like a perfect little town with a beachfront. The story is written in such a way that there are little revelations along the way as to why Molly is so lost and what made her so cautious in life.

Guilt is a feeling Molly can quite relate to on a significant level. It surfaced ever since before she left North Carolina to pursue her dreams to become a lawyer. She finds a home in Boston with Adam as her fiancé and Becca as her friend. But when Adam dies, Molly is again guilt-ridden and loses meaning. In order to escape the memories of Adam, Molly abruptly decides to leave Boston and revisit her hometown.

Clayton Falls calls to her and overwhelmed with feelings of loneliness and numbness from grieving, she falls back on Kelly and eventually Ben, for support. Kelly is her best friend from high school who is getting married soon so a large part of the story revolves around her wedding. Molly is worse than she lets on; she is slowly inching away from her mother and sister and finds it hard to block out dark emotions.

Despite breaking up with Ben because of the events that followed after graduation, it is clear that Molly never stopped loving him. So while Ben feels familiar, for him having Molly back is a chance he is not going to let go at any rate. What Molly needs is to battle her inner demons instead of drowning in them and shutting everyone off.

Things start looking up when she opens up to Ben about her Dad and consequently about her past with Adam. It’s revealing to see where she is coming from and why was she holding back but she does get closure. It is actually inspiring to see her survive through a tough time in life.

I would have liked it if there was more to Ben’s story of how he pulled himself together. Also, Gavin’s persistence made him unlikable to me but what was lacking in Gavin’s character was made up by Jack’s spunk. In all, Derailed is an enjoyable and a bittersweet romantic story of love lost and found.

THE QUOTES

“The message was only three words, but his failure to respond had changed everything.”

“I felt a surge of guilt—the only thing I seemed to feel anymore.”

“The light was brighter than I’d expected, and I froze for a second, shivering as I realized how little stood between me and that train—or really how nothing did. Kind of how nothing stood between life and death.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Alyssa Rose Ivy can be found at

Buy Derailed (Clayton Falls, #1)

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THE GIVEAWAY

As part of the blog tour, there will be six winners and one of them will be winning a print copy of each Derailed and Veer, the second book in the Clayton Falls series. So enter away! It’s international.

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Thanks to Alyssa Rose Ivy and ATOMR for providing me a copy of Derailed for review.